Migrants who vanished after being found in trailer 'are headed for UK'

The nine migrants disappeared from accommodation provided to them by the Reception and Integration Agency in Dublin's north inner city on Saturday.

They were part of a group of 15 adults and one minor who were discovered inside the container after staff on the Stena Line ferry from Cherbourg to Rosslare heard noises inside and contacted the driver.

Footage from security cameras fitted to the lorry was being downloaded over the weekend and will be examined by gardaí today in the hope that it will indicate how the migrants gained access to the trailer.

The footage may show if the doors had been opened or access was gained through a vent or broken seal and may also indicate when they managed to stow away inside.

Officers are also likely to hold further interviews with the driver of the vehicle and the owner of the haulage company to help them piece together the movements of the migrants.

It was originally claimed that the migrants had hidden away in the container in Belgium. But it is now thought more likely that they gained access in France as the migrants were in good spirits when they were found and clean shaven, suggesting they had not spent that much time in hiding.

Initial inquiries have suggested the group thought they had boarded a lorry heading for the UK but became concerned at the length of the journey and began moving around in the container when they were heard.

None of the migrants had shown up previously on the Eurodac fingerprint system used by all police forces in the EU. But they have now all been fingerprinted by gardaí and the missing migrants will be identified if they are stopped trying to enter Britain.

Gardaí last night were working closely through Interpol with police forces in several other jurisdictions to establish where the migrants had been before they stowed away and also to check if the information they gave about their identities is correct.

Based on what they have been told so far, gardaí believe at the moment they are Kurds, probably from Iraq, but they had originally been told they were from Afghanistan.

Gardaí from the Wexford division are also working closely with officers from the National Immigration Bureau and officials from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.

Officers said last night that a lot of questions remained and the investigation would be stepped up as they gathered further information and intelligence.

The rest of the adult migrants have indicated they wish to seek asylum here while the sole minor has been taken into the care of Tusla.

A statement from the Department of Justice said that it "does not comment on individual cases".

It said that the system of direct provision is in place to offer food, shelter and ancillary services to people seeking international protection.

It is not compulsory, and people who arrive seeking asylum are offered accommodation by the State while their cases are being considered, but are not obliged to take up the offer.

An applicant who accepts an offer of accommodation can decide to leave at any point.